Monday, May 1, 2017

Almost immediately after we got Eolian, we purchased a small stereo for music aboard. It was pretty close to state of the art at the time, and included a CD player, AM/FM radio, and a cassette tape deck.

That was nearly 20 years ago.

We don't have any cassette tapes any more, and despite many cleanings, the CD player portion of the stereo was frustratingly skipping.

After 20 years, it was time for an upgrade.

As is usual on a boat, getting something of a size that would fit in the designated compartment was not a sure thing. And, surprise, surprise... Most retailers and most packaging do not disclose dimensions. So we had to buy something that we hoped would fit, based on the size of the packaging and the internal cushioning they always include. Cutting to the chase: the new stereo is quite a bit smaller than the old one, because: cassette tapes? What're those?

Hello bluetooth!

Time and technology march on... the new stereo dropped the AM radio and the tape deck, but gained bluetooth capability - something I've been wanting for some time. So now I can play music from my phone, or from my laptop (where most of my music resides) thru the stereo!

Read up on the Golden Globe Race. They are holding a 50 recreation of the original round the world race, wherein the entrants are limited to 1974 technology. Among other things, they are allowed cassette tapes for entertainments, but not CDs. No GPS, no sat phone, no Dyneema, no weather routing, no cell phones.

If you have never read "A Voyage for Madmen," it is the classic book about the original race, available at the library. A very good read.